TATTS NOT A NEEDLE

GUTS GETS HIS JAB:

PREMIER Peter Gutwein has rolled up his sleeve to allay any fears about receiving the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccination while also revealing a little-seen side to the Liberal leader.

The 56-year-old received his first jab at a vaccination centre in Bridgewater on Friday morning.

“While as part of the state’s emergency management structure I could have had the vaccine earlier, it was important to ensure our frontline workers and elderly Tasmanians were prioritised,” he said.

“My first shot of the free AstraZeneca vaccine was painless and simple. There is no doubt vaccination is the single most effective tool in getting our lives back to normal and the AstraZeneca vaccine is safe and effective for people like me, who are over 50.”

It was announced on Thursday the AstraZeneca vaccine rollout to Tasmanians over 50 had been fasttracked to be available from May 3 in state-run clinics, with GPs to follow soon after.

“We want to work with the commonwealth to ensure we can complete the rollout as quickly as possible,” Mr Gutwein said.

“We’re leading the country in the way our state clinics have been running. I would hope the vast majority of Tasmanians would have had at least their first jab by the end of the year, depending on supply.”

The photo opportunity also led to the unveiling of a surprising black panther tattoo on the Premier’s arm.

Mr Gutwein was asked for the story behind the body art.

“People know I’m a black belt in taekwondo,” he said.

“It’s just a reminder of the hard work and discipline that I put in over a number of years to be able to get that black belt.”

He said he had had the tattoo for “too long to remember”.

Mr Gutwein posted a video of him receiving the vaccination to his TikTok page, where he goes by the username “papi—g”.